Standing Up for Our Students in Challenging Times

Listen to Season 5 of my podcast – Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran. It’s available here, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast apps.

This season’s theme is Standing Up for Our Students in Challenging Times. We critically examine diversity, inclusion and neutrality; how to stand up when hatred is stoked; and how to create more representative spaces and curricula in schools so that our students and their communities are recognised and valued.

Episode 39: Courageous Conversations in the Classroom with Val Brown

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Standing up when hatred is stoked; building community through courageous conversations about race; and why representation and presence matters.

Why does anti-oppressive education matter? Why is ‘neutrality’ problematic in education? How can we create culturally responsive curricula; and honor our students’ histories, existence, and ways of knowing.

Episode 41: Whose History Are We Telling with Eric Fieldman

How do we move from holding back to standing up and speaking out as a teacher? What about our history textbooks and curricula – who’s present and who’s absent in them? And how do we get beyond diatribe when debating social issues in the classroom?

Episode 42: Complicating Diversity and Inclusion with Maha Bali

How can we become more conscious about oppression? Why do we need to re-think traditional critical thinking and debating approaches in the classroom? And how we can push beyond generic approaches to ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’.

We also canvass how to re-think our anger about injustices perpetrated against our communities, and explore gendered inequities in STEM.

Episode 43: Trans Children Do Know Who They Are with Jo Hirst

Jo Hirst reflects on the ups and downs of raising a trans child in an often hostile world. Plus, how we can better support trans and gender diverse young people in our schools.

Episode 44: Being Color Brave Not Color Blind with Rosa Perez-Isiah

Dr Rosa Perez-Isiah chats about the impact of the hostile political climate around immigration on her students and their families.

Rosa also pushes back against being color blind suggesting that we be color brave instead.

We also discuss how our silence around poverty can be oppressive. Lots of tips and insights, plus quite moving tales of life in Southern California, USA for students of color.

Episode 45: Uplifting the Voices & Languages of Latino Students with Victor Martinez

How can we support Latino students to see the many possibilities for themselves. Plus challenging the shame and stigma associated with speaking your first language, Spanish.

Episode 46: How Rainbow Kids Are Stepping Up and Speaking Out with Felicity Marlowe

How are Rainbow Kids actively campaigning for their families’ rights, and how can you better support them? Also, why are personal stories key to changing hearts and minds?

Episode 47: Navigating White Spaces with Sherri Spelic

The challenges of fitting in and assimilation in predominantly white spaces. Plus promoting girls’ participation in sport, and making physical education classes more inclusive and fair.

We explore teaching in a western suburbs’ school where students face bigotry and negative stereotyping based on their race, religious beliefs, and the suburbs they live. Plus, expanding students’ views about being Muslim.

How can we make our schools’ sites of liberation and resistance? Plus challenging the dominant narratives that blame individuals whilst giving scant attention to social justice, and structural issues.

Episode 50: Optimism, Hope & a Place to Belong with Rodney Croome

Longtime LGBTI human rights activist Rodney Croome explores the lessons learnt from early campaigns to legalise homosexuality. We unpack why personal stories are key, & small target strategies are a mistake. Plus, the dangers of the ‘religious freedom’ movement.

More Social Justice Episodes

Social Justice is my passion as a teacher. Listen to more of my Social Justice-related episodes featuring teachers who are not content with the status quo. They’re standing up, speaking out, and taking action for their students and their communities.